by Staff Correspondent, Dhaka;
Forty-four individuals and organizations have been awarded with the prestigious Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Puroshkar for the Bangla year of 1425 and 1426 for their outsnading contribution to the agricultural sector.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday handed the award, the highest state recognition in agriculture sector, to the recipients in 10 categories at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
She joined the programme, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, virtually from her official Gonobhaban residence.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim and Agriculture Ministry’s Parliamentary Affairs Standing Committee Chairman and former Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury spoke at the function.
A documentary on the success of the Agriculture Ministry and its activities was screened at the function.
The agriculture minister distributed the award on behalf of the Prime Minister among 44 individuals and organisations for their contribution to the agriculture research and expansion, cooperatives, motivation, technology innovation, commercial farming, afforestation, rearing livestock and poultry and fish farming.
Of them, 15 individuals and organizations got the award for the Bangla year of 1425 while 21 individuals and organizations for the Bangla year of 1426.
Three gold medals, twenty-five bronze medals and sixteen silver medals were distributed among the recipients.
Each of the gold medal winners received 100,000 takas with 18-carat gold medal weighing 25 grams, while each silver medal winner got 50,000 takas along with a medal of 25 grams pure silver and each bronze medal winner received 25,000 takas along with a bronze medal.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the award in 1973 to take Bangladesh’s Agri-based economy to a new height. The award was cancelled after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
After assuming office in 2009, the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Hasina constituted “The Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Puroshkar Tahabil Ain-2009” for giving an institutional shape to the award introduced by Bangabandhu.
The Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Puroshkar Trust Law, 2016 was enacted to make the activities of this sector more dynamic.